Midnight
by SciFiSGFan
Summary: A little something I wrote for the time of year. A variation of the Major in a different time and place.


_The word solstice derives from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still) - **Wikipedia**_

_**Midnight**_

It was noon on Thanksgiving and the men had just been released from work. Because they spent the majority of their time beneath the ground in the mines, many of the men were sensitive to light. They were fortunate that today the sun was hidden behind the clouds of the gray overcast day. In addition to Thanksgiving Day, the only other day the men were let go early was Christmas Eve. They were given Christmas Day, as well as every Sunday, off entirely. When Christmas fell on a Sunday it was like being cheated by the Fates. But when Christmas fell on a Saturday or a Monday it was like being rewarded by the Fates.

If it weren't for the boss-man's wife insisting that everyone in town attend church it was likely the men would be required to work seven days a week. The deal was that the workers were given the time off in order to attend services. If anyone missed a service they would be docked a day's pay. The only problem with off days was the sun.

Marcus Evan Lorne, or Mel as he was referred to by his friends, had been working in the mines since he was old enough to swing a pickaxe. He remembered playing in the sun as a child. But that was a distant memory. And on the rare occasion he would catch a glimpse of the sun on a day off it would burn his eyes for hours.

Mel lived a good mile and a half from the mine and he, along with his father, older brother and one younger brother would rise between 3:30am and 4am in order to make it there by 5am. His mother would have breakfast waiting for the men while his two sisters would prepare lunches for them. This meant that the women-folk had to be up earlier than the men-folk. His youngest brother was still too young to work in the mines but there were always little things like bringing in firewood or water that needed to be done so he had to get up with the women. After the men went off to the mines, Mel's mother and siblings were still responsible for doing the fieldwork and tending to the chickens, hogs, two milk cows, three steers and five horses on the farm.

Mel, his father and brothers would usually work from 5am until 8pm. They would make their way home where his mother and sisters would have supper waiting. After supper mother and father would discuss the day's work and plan the next day. The children usually went off to bed. Mel being the second oldest would often go to town to visit friends for a couple of hours. Sunday afternoons were reserved for Bible study, lessons, and quiet time. Not just Sunday school lessons but regular reading, writing, and arithmetic lessons for the younger children. Mrs. Lorne insisted that her children not grow up ignorant. Fortunately she had had folks that insisted she have an education, too. As did Mel's father's folks. They would be given an education if she had to do it herself.

There was a school in town but most children only attended through the sixth grade. Some said that was in part because the teacher, Miss Schmidt, only had an eight-grade education herself. Others said it was because the older boys were needed in the mines and the girls were needed at home to help on the farm. School as a young boy was where Mel met his two best friends. Well, one best friend and two convenient friends. Mel and Sammy Jo Carter had become quite smitten with each other way back in the second grade. Her best friend was Jean McKay. Jean was Rod McKay's sister. The McKay's ran the general store and feed mill. If Mel wanted to hang out with Sammy Jo it meant having to hang out with Jean and Rod. Jean's folks were not real fond of Mel's family and thus they insisted if he were around their daughter then Rod would be required to chaperone. If only Jean's folks knew that the only reason Mel was hanging around her was because she was always hanging around with Sammy Jo they would not be worried. It didn't help Mel's situation that Rod also had a crush on Sammy Jo. Then again, who didn't? She was beautiful, smart and talented.

Mel's folks were not thrilled about the budding relationship between their son and Sammy Jo. The only reason they tolerated it as much as they did was because her father was the only blacksmith for sixty miles and he was also somewhat of an amateur veterinarian. These were the only reasons many of the mountain people put up with him. But if something made Sammy Jo happy, then it made Jack Carter happy. And if it made Jack Carter happy, it made his wife, Jill Carter, happy as well.

It was Jack's religious beliefs, or more aptly lack of, that had Mr. and Mrs. Lorne concerned. Beliefs he had only recently acquired. Mrs. Lorne was not happy that her son was associating with someone like that. He did not attend Sunday services with the rest of the townspeople. He chose instead to worship at home, if you could call it that. He would sit for hours meditating; about what was anyone's guess. Most people thought he was just being lazy and sleeping. In reality he was trying to free his mind in hopes that he might one day be deemed worthy by the Great Ancestors and be taken out of the physical world to live on a level with them as pure energy complete with knowledge, wisdom and power. He called it Ascension to the Ancestors. The townspeople called it blasphemy and wickedness.

Mr. Carter had passed this belief on to his wife and daughter. They would spend evenings meditating and on Sunday when the rest of the town was attending services in the church he would be in the little room on the upper most level of his home meditating with his family. Sammy Jo had introduced Jean, Mel and Rod to her family's way of thinking and while Mel's initial interest was purely selfish because he wanted to be close to her, it eventually grew into a full-blown interest in the faith. Jean, too, became fascinated by the idea of leaving the physical world and becoming a powerful being with knowledge and wisdom. Rod, on the other hand, thought it was a waste of time. But he was forced to accompany his sister to these meditation sessions because Mel was there.

Mr. and Mrs. McKay were not as hard on the Carters as the rest of the town. The town accepted them because they attended Sunday service as well hosted the Wednesday evening prayer service that the boss-man's wife conducted every week. The McKay's were not as strict with their children and allowed them to make up their own minds as to what they believed. They were however required to make a good public impression and convey the idea that they went along with everything that the boss-man's wife expected. Still, it was no secret that Jean and Rod McKay were participating in the wicked meditation teachings of Jack Carter.

Rod was participating in the teachings only in an outward appearance. His personal beliefs were neither the teachings of Jack Carter nor those of the Church. He was more of a logic-based thinker. He wanted to be an inventor. Rod McKay was arrogant and self-centered. Qualities that grated on Mel's nerves but if he wanted to see Sammy Jo he had to put up with Rod. His disinterest in Ascension to the Ancestors was also something that annoyed Mel. He had come to believe sincerely that this was the proper thing to believe in and he spent his quiet Sunday's on his own meditation in the hopes of being one of the chosen ones come the Winter Solstice. The fact that Sammy Jo believed this too was just an added bonus.

Winter Solstice was when the Ancestors would choose those they felt worthy enough to ascend to their level of existence and become one with their civilization. At the point the moon was at its highest point on the longest night of the year. If your mind had reached the level of enlightenment deemed necessary to leave the physical world behind, you would be ascended to that higher plane of existence and leave your flesh-and-blood body behind. But this only happened this one time a year. Jack Carter hoped he and his family would be ready this year. Mel hoped he would be ready, too.

The night of the Winter Solstice finally arrived. This year it fell on a Sunday. The moon would actually be at its highest point in early evening. Mel hoped he would be chosen to ascend. He was new to this whole way of believing and was afraid that Sammy Jo would be chosen and he would be left behind. He didn't know if he'd be able to go on without her. She had spent countless hours teaching him the art of meditation.

Mel attended services with his family like any other Sunday but today he was more anxious to get home and get his chores and lessons completed so he could go over to Sammy Jo's to await the Ancestors. Mr. Carter said it would be okay since Mel's own family was unbelievers. He thought the negative energy given off by them might hinder Mel's chances and perhaps even distract him in his meditation.

The time drew near that the moon would reach its highest point and the Ancestors would peer down upon the believers and choose those that would become one with them. Mel finished his chores and then asked to be excused for the remainder of the afternoon. He tried not to say anything or make any promises that could be in the slightest thought of as a lie. He feared that lying would make him unworthy. He really didn't want to tell his folks why he wanted to be excused, though. He figured if they asked, he'd answer. If they didn't he was not going to offer any more information than was necessary.

Mother was not too keen on allowing her son to be excused before the lessons were finished, even though he had pretty much learned all that she had to teach. His presence was more to assist his younger siblings than to learn anything himself. Father didn't see the harm in his going off for one afternoon. He knew that his son had a girl in town and was either too blind to see who it was or just wasn't too worried. He told mother to let the boy go, just this once. And what father said was usually what happened. Mel was grateful for the support and understanding albeit a bit misguided. He tried to convince himself on the walk over to the Carter's that he was not deceiving his folks. If he conveyed any self- doubt he was afraid that the Ancestors would not choose him.

Mel arrived at the Carter's home about an hour before 'the Time'. Mr. and Mrs. Carter welcomed him and directed him to the upper room of the house. It was a place Mel was familiar with, as he had meditated with the Carters on several occasions. Jean McKay had arrived a short time earlier. Rod was not with her this time. He knew what the evening was all about and refused to partake. It most likely would not have mattered what Rod had wanted anyway, Jack Carter would undoubtedly not have invited him to join them. He would have told Rod to leave. Everyone was excited to begin the evening's meditation, be fully relaxed, and have their minds free of all worldly thoughts when the Ancestors came.

The small group sat in silence, each one clearing their minds and focusing on the task at hand. Mel had been able to forget any of the negative thoughts he'd had walking over. He no longer felt any type of guilt whatsoever for not telling his folks of his intentions on this Sunday evening. He was almost an adult and while he still lived under his parent's roof and under their rules for the most part, he was free to live his own life as he chose. His folks knew that if he had wanted to move out and start a life of his own he could have done it at any time. He had instead elected to stay with the family and help out all he could. Times were hard everywhere.

They were quietly meditating in the dimly lit upper room of the Carter home when all of a sudden a bright light filled the entire area. There was no sound associated with the light whatsoever but a presence could be felt. It gave off a feeling of love, knowledge and wisdom. The light only lasted a few moments and then it was gone. But when it left, like a stream of brilliant white smoke, it became obvious that the Ancestors had chosen Mel Lorne, Jean McKay, Sammy Jo, Jack and Jill Carter to Ascend to their plane of existence.

*****  
^^^


End file.
